Arlington, Virginia, United States, 14 May 2019: AHRI on May 10 filed comments with the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) on two labelling documents for residential and commercial air conditioning, respectively.

The documents are “Updating the UAE Technical Regulation Labelling – Energy Efficiency Label for Electrical Appliances – Commercial and Central Air Conditioners” and “Updating the UAE Technical Regulation Labelling – Energy Efficiency Label for Electrical Appliances – Part 1: Household Air Conditioners”.

AHRI expressed support for ESMA’s effort to address energy efficiency issues in the United Arab Emirates. However, AHRI identified three areas needing either immediate revision or further study and offered to meet with ESMA and jointly review two important issues. The first is what AHRI called as a need for the draft standard to cite all relevant AHRI standards. The omission, AHRI said, potentially closes the UAE market to equipment tested, rated and certified to AHRI standards. The second issue is the inclusion of the soon-to-be published ISO Standard, ISO 16358-1: “Air-cooled air conditioners and air-to-air heat pumps – Testing and calculating methods for seasonal performance factors — Part 1: Cooling seasonal performance factor”, which AHRI characterised as premature. The standard, AHRI said, does not appear to be accurately applicable to the UAE and, hence, needs to be subjected to further analysis and review.

The draft standards, AHRI said, recognise the value of factoring-in the Part Load (IPLV) calculation. However, AHRI added, it needs to be referenced correctly for VRF equipment.